I've become a big fan of this series. Miles Vorkosigan is a great character, a sort of nicer Tyrion Lannister. Smart, funny, roguish, following his owI've become a big fan of this series. Miles Vorkosigan is a great character, a sort of nicer Tyrion Lannister. Smart, funny, roguish, following his own sense of honor but not entirely trustworthy, all of which he needs to help overcome physical challenges. In this book he's on a routine diplomatic mission to attend a funeral when he's forced into a mysterious plot against him and others. The fun of the story is how he makes his way through it....more

I actually found this book and series after reading a book review by Keith Law (http://meadowparty.com/blog/2018/02/2...) that piqued my interest. I wI actually found this book and series after reading a book review by Keith Law (http://meadowparty.com/blog/2018/02/2...) that piqued my interest. I was in the mood for something light and this was perfect. Miles Vorkosigan is sort of a sci fi, royal family Fletch character, or a less awful Harry Flashman. There's some sort of dilemma (or several, in this case one is the disappearance of the young emperor), his plans fall apart, and with numerous plot twists he uses considerable intelligence and sometimes questionable ethical standards to fix things. ...more

Maggie Shen King's novel An Excess Male (2017) is unique and engrossing. It shifts from human interest story to thriller and back, with Chinese authorMaggie Shen King's novel An Excess Male (2017) is unique and engrossing. It shifts from human interest story to thriller and back, with Chinese authoritarian politics infusing everything. The setting is Beijing in the not-too-distant future, where the one-child policy has led to such an imbalance of men and women that men find it difficult to marry wives. One answer has been to allow for women to be married to more than one man. Wei-guo is single and in his 40s, and a matchmaker (hired by his two fathers) finds a possible wife who already has two husbands. The idiosyncrasies of that family frame the novel because they are brothers. One is homosexual and one appears to be high functioning autistic (he prefers to be called XX). The government punishes the former and is wary of the latter. Finally, Wei-guo plays a military-style real-life simulation intended for single men in which he is part of a mini-rebellion that angers government officials.

The female character, May-ling, loves her husbands but does not connect fully with either one. Part of the story is the evolution of her feelings toward Wei-guo, who falls almost immediately in love with her. He also connects with their rather difficult young child. The novel is really about what family means, and the human cost of government repression and control, which creates a lot of unnecessary misery.

Seth Dickinson's The Traitor Baru Cormorant (2015) is a political novel with a fantasy backdrop. When she is a child, the Masquerade Empire takes overSeth Dickinson's The Traitor Baru Cormorant (2015) is a political novel with a fantasy backdrop. When she is a child, the Masquerade Empire takes over Baru Cormorant's homeland, destroying her family in the process. Interestingly, one important way the empire cracks down is on sexuality. In Baru's homeland homosexuality and bisexuality are the norm (for example, she has two fathers) and the Masquerade harshly punishes that. She decides the only way to fight back and protect her home and way of life is to join the empire and wield power within it. She is thus a traitor all the way through and there is constant (and unexpected) treachery throughout the novel.

Imagine House of Cards combined with Game of Thrones. This is totally unlike George R.R. Martin's writing, though, which is long, immersive, and character-driven. Dickinson is sparer and the focus stays on the main character, though you don't really know what she's thinking. There is a lot about the logistics of empire and rebellion: taxes, psychology, military strategy, economic growth, etc. which all flows nicely.

There are two things that get mentioned multiple times that frame the book:

The Traitor's Qualm refers to the idea that potential rebels will stay publicly neutral as long as possible so that if things go bad, they can stay with the empire. There must be something about this in the political psychology literature but I don't know it. Baru spends a lot of time figuring out ways to court such allies.

The Hierarchic Qualm refers to the idea that you cannot sin when you are following a king or emperor's orders because you swore an oath to do so. It is just like Hannah Arendt's argument about the banality of evil. Adolf Eichmann said he wasn't guilty because he was just doing his job. That can justify massive bloodshed, as it does in this novel. And Baru is right in the middle of it.

It appears to be a two-book story and the sequel comes out in October 2018.

Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer is a haunting book about the end of the Vietnam War and the aftermath that followed, both in expat communities andViet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer is a haunting book about the end of the Vietnam War and the aftermath that followed, both in expat communities and in Vietnam itself. The narrator is a double agent, a communist working for a general who flees to Los Angeles with the help of the CIA as Saigon falls, and from there tries to set up a new invasion force.

It is both wonderfully written and brutal. Everyone is to blame. The corrupt elite. The clueless and violent Americans, even those who make movies (with clear reference to Apocalypse Now). The revolutionaries who want to steal liberty from everyone. The narrator, himself mixed race, doesn't fit anywhere neatly and therefore tries to see all sides.

"Now that we are the powerful, we don't need the French or the Americans to fuck us over. We can fuck ourselves just fine" (364) sums it up. All sides have their slogans, all meaningless, all meaning nothing. He even kills for these slogans, and those he kills literally haunt him as ghosts in his mind.

Ildefonso Falcones' Cathedral of the Sea is historical fiction set in 14th century Barcelona, following the life of Arnau Estanyol as he goes from impIldefonso Falcones' Cathedral of the Sea is historical fiction set in 14th century Barcelona, following the life of Arnau Estanyol as he goes from impoverished orphan to wealth and status. I thought the novel would be focused on the building of the Santa María de la Mar cathedral, but it served more as a symbolic backdrop and source of inspiration for Arnau. Of course, this is the Inquisition, which touches on virtually everything. It's an entertaining novel.

The novel is centered in many ways on class differences, the way nobles mistreat everyone else, but how the people can fight back. The unique role of Catalonia is critical to this because there are customs and norms that Castilians must accept. That angle represents some of the most interesting parts of the book, especially when Catalonia and the Inquisition clash.

The words "saga" and "sprawling" are cliches but fit. This becomes difficult at times because there are a lot of characters and periodically I lost track, especially when they reappeared after a long time. The dialogue at times can be rather wooden, though I though both the story and the characters really came to life in last 150 pages or so, which were much better than the beginning. There is even a bit of a twist at the end--not everything is tied up perfectly, which worked well in my opinion.

A private detective novel set in Barcelona. Pepe Carvalho is a gourmet who is dating a prostitute and trying to plan for his retirement. (He is also sA private detective novel set in Barcelona. Pepe Carvalho is a gourmet who is dating a prostitute and trying to plan for his retirement. (He is also somehow both a book lover who uses his own books to start fires in his hearth during summer.) It's a solid mystery and the descriptions of Barcelona and Amsterdam are good, but the novel was written in the early-mid 1970s and the sexism became tiring....more

You don't often come across a book that combines baseball and baseball memorabilia in a mystery that basically borrows from traditional private detectYou don't often come across a book that combines baseball and baseball memorabilia in a mystery that basically borrows from traditional private detective pulp narratives. This is a light-hearted, decidedly male dominated story about a dead player's old jersey. You'll roll your eyes a few times, or maybe more than a few, but the plot moves along nicely....more

This is a really entertaining series, and perfect airplane reading. His descriptions of geography, fighting, culture, etc. are all compelling. The stoThis is a really entertaining series, and perfect airplane reading. His descriptions of geography, fighting, culture, etc. are all compelling. The story is grim--girls being sold into sex slavery--but universal and his plots twists were well done. There's no sugar coating of anything....more

This is good historical fiction, though it dragged a bit for me toward the end. There's not much new in the portrayal of slavery, but I liked the waysThis is good historical fiction, though it dragged a bit for me toward the end. There's not much new in the portrayal of slavery, but I liked the ways she highlighted the contradictions of how slave owners interacted with their slaves and denied wrongdoing. ...more

Compelling book that centers on race and identity, and particularly how society imposes certain rules that are difficult to break free from. There isCompelling book that centers on race and identity, and particularly how society imposes certain rules that are difficult to break free from. There is one major (and as it turns out fairly predictable) coincidence that requires willing suspension of disbelief, but overall I enjoyed it....more

Mohsin Hamid's Exit West is an intriguing and unusual novel. The two main characters, Nadia and Saeed, are two young people who live in an unnamed butMohsin Hamid's Exit West is an intriguing and unusual novel. The two main characters, Nadia and Saeed, are two young people who live in an unnamed but certainly Middle Eastern country. They come together and when militants take over their city, they flee through one of the many magic doors popping up around the world, which take you somewhere else.

Migrants are doing this globally, which sets the stage for exploration of migrant experience, displacement, nativism, development of new nationalisms, and even personal relationships. If borders disappeared, what would happen?

It's beautifully written, a pleasure to read really. There is no plot per se--people are fleeing and trying to find new meaning in new places, but there is no narrative arc and definitely no effort to explain more broadly what new international responses there are and what the outcome is. That would be interesting to contemplate but it's not his point. Instead, he tries to sort out what happens to these two people.

I read the book with my 9 year old daughter. It would've been easy to make this schmaltzy and sugary sweet, but it never goes there. Instead, it's a nI read the book with my 9 year old daughter. It would've been easy to make this schmaltzy and sugary sweet, but it never goes there. Instead, it's a nice depiction of childhood and the difficulties people (including adults) have with those who don't look like everyone else....more

This installment started slowly but the plot took off more in the second half. Ned Lowe from X makes a re-appearance, which then becomes a second plotThis installment started slowly but the plot took off more in the second half. Ned Lowe from X makes a re-appearance, which then becomes a second plot. Both the mystery (which at the beginning is mostly about the location of someone who disappeared after a 1979 killing of a high school girl, then expands) and the Ned Lowe situation get more intense at the end of the novel.

On the flip side, the same cast of characters can get stale at times, especially as they don't evolve much (even the elderly like Henry seem not to be affected by age, and the poor guy seems to be taken advantage of every novel). And the discussion of security at the airport didn't make sense to me--Kinsey says she can't go through security without a ticket, but before 9/11 you could walk through security to the gate to drop off and pick up even if you didn't have a ticket. ...more

The first half of this book is great, with the setting, the historical context, and the mystery. About halfway through, the murderer is suddenly reveaThe first half of this book is great, with the setting, the historical context, and the mystery. About halfway through, the murderer is suddenly revealed and so the second half of the novel is about catching him. That part becomes less interesting as it goes.

The mid-19th century London setting is compelling with all his research, especially Thomas De Quincey, who I didn't know anything about, so it's worth reaching the end, but by that time you kinda know what will happen anyway....more

On a whim, I bought Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express at a used bookstore, in Julian CA, of all places. It was a perfect book for traveliOn a whim, I bought Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express at a used bookstore, in Julian CA, of all places. It was a perfect book for traveling. I had read it years ago and in fact about 1/3 of the way through remembered the solution, but several things stood out for me anyway.

First, it begins in Aleppo, then quickly discusses Mosul and Baghdad. Right away it is showing you the places involved in the current fight against ISIS. And of course everyone in the novel sees the area as both a necessary part of the British Empire and a nuisance because of the locals. Later the British train official doesn't want the "Jugo-Slavian" police involved because they get all puffed up and indignant when talked down to.

Second, it engages in the worst stereotypes about "Latins" (in this case an Italian, but obviously it could be a Spaniard, Chilean, or anyone else). Of course they would be more likely to stab someone 20 times. That's what they do!

Third, it makes the same sorts of stereotypes about women, who also are more likely to get crazy and stab someone in his train bed. Couldn't be the stiff-upper lip British guy because they're so non-violent.

At least it is true, though, that the stereotypes are used to distract the reader because the truth is not so clear. Nonetheless, those stereotypes are accepted as generally accurate anyway.

I thoroughly enjoyed this intricate mystery novel within a mystery novel, where the life of a mystery novelist and his own work (which is set in the 1I thoroughly enjoyed this intricate mystery novel within a mystery novel, where the life of a mystery novelist and his own work (which is set in the 1950s) intertwine. There are in fact two separate mysteries at the same time, and so you follow the clues of both simultaneously. And in both mysteries very unlikable people are killed so the suspects are plentiful....more

I liked the book enough to finish it, but that's about it. I could not care much about the characters, the dialogue was snappy but unrealistic, and inI liked the book enough to finish it, but that's about it. I could not care much about the characters, the dialogue was snappy but unrealistic, and in general the "fear of death" theme gets a bit old (as does the idea that a professor walks around in his gown). The issue of how people fear death and what they do about it is interesting, as is the way in which consumer culture becomes white noise background, but that's not enough to make it a great book for me....more

I reread this 30 years after reading it the first time, and it was a perfect summer read. I found it creepy rather than scary, as I did the first timeI reread this 30 years after reading it the first time, and it was a perfect summer read. I found it creepy rather than scary, as I did the first time, but either way the pages keep turning. The funny thing is that you read approximately 1,000 pages about a freaky clown, and then for 100 more pages it gets *weirder*, with a turtle and some sort of alternate universe. Bob Gray/Pennywise the clown isn't even the weirdest part.

My only quibble--as adults they all come back to Derry, then separate for the night when they know all hell is going to break loose. Good for the narrative, but who would stay alone when an evil clown is leaving you balloons?

BTW, if you didn't know the word "ichor," you'll see it several times....more

Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is essentially a novel of slavery in a totalitarian system. Ivan Denisovich Shukhov waAlexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is essentially a novel of slavery in a totalitarian system. Ivan Denisovich Shukhov was put in a work camp in Siberia for having been been taken as a POW by the Germans in World War II, which prompted the state to label him a spy. The book is literally the depiction of one full day in the camp, from waking up to going to bed.

Beyond the clear political importance of the novel, which showed the brutality of Stalin and which therefore was a part of the reforms enacted by Khrushchev, you see what forced labor does to people. They were worked very hard in bitterly cold conditions, and spent much of their time figuring out ways to play the system. How to get slightly more food, how to stay warm, how to get some tobacco, whose palm to grease, all of which risk being put in solitary confinement. Escape is not possible because there's nowhere to go. Therefore you find small measures of personal contentment wherever you can.

I really liked Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad but sometimes the fantastical nature of it didn't quite work for me. In the mix of realismI really liked Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad but sometimes the fantastical nature of it didn't quite work for me. In the mix of realism and altered history, the realism is the more powerful part. The depiction of slavery's brutality is potent and will stick in your head. His descriptions of the lives people make under bondage feels real. That in turn makes you feel for the characters. I wanted to keep turning pages.

The narrative drive of the novel, though, is the Underground Railroad. Not the actual historical one, but a real railroad that goes under the earth unnoticed and has stations across the South. There are quite a few other altered historical facts, though none as central. The train helped you see the changes in how each state dealt with slavery and the ways in which there was doubt about where it ended and how safe it could keep you. But the clash of real and imagined sometimes left me scratching my head.

Death's End (translated in 2016) is the third in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy and it is incredible. Its scope is immense, centering on theDeath's End (translated in 2016) is the third in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy and it is incredible. Its scope is immense, centering on the "dark forest" problem in the universe, namely that civilizations immediately try to destroy each other when they discover a sign of life. Therefore often the best idea is to hide. This third book is by far the best, and somehow manages to both be apocalyptic and hopeful. After reading, you'll be reminded (or at least I was) of how your life is both meaningless and meaningful at the same time.

He deftly deals with the politics and religion of coming into contact with hostile forces. First earth tries a UN-type unified response, but over time that breaks down and there are violent clashes that result as humans try to figure out the best way to continue the species (this was the key theme in Book 1 as well). Deterrence was an important theme in Book 2 and its ramifications continue into Book 3. Religious beliefs shift and adapt, always looking in vain for a savior. Eventually a lot of human attention is spent on trying to make sure humans and Earth are remembered at all.

The science is remarkable. Discussions of light speed, dimensions (two-dimensional space becomes a major part of the story) and the structure of the universe itself are intense but not overwhelming. Lastly, it makes you wonder whether we should make any effort to find extraterrestrial life. It might not turn out well.

It's common for baseball fans to have opinions, sometimes intense ones, about baseball movies. So right off the bat (no pun intended) I will admit thaIt's common for baseball fans to have opinions, sometimes intense ones, about baseball movies. So right off the bat (no pun intended) I will admit that I'm a big fan of The Natural. I know it's cheesy and unrealistic in a particular Hollywood sort of way, but the cheese works.

But until now I'd never read Bernard Malamud's The Natural, the 1952 novel on which the movie is based. The core structure is there--the young phenom shot down after striking out The Whammer, the return when he'd older, the corrupt owner, and so on--but it is a tragedy where the movie is a triumph. Roy Hobbs makes poor choices instead of virtuous ones, is petty instead of generous, his life destroyed versus fulfilled.

For me, both work. People have to wade through dirt and grime as they work to achieve their goals, so one is about disappointment while the other is about having it all. Take your pick based on your mood.

I hadn't read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (originally published in 1953) in many years. It's still so relevant for today. Not simply for the idea ofI hadn't read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (originally published in 1953) in many years. It's still so relevant for today. Not simply for the idea of book burning/banning, which of course is central to the story and is timeless, but for the idea of numbing oneself with entertainment. A major theme is how many people accepted the idea that thinking hard about difficult issues and dealing with complexity were overwhelming. Entertainment, which actually interacted with you through huge screens on the wall, made you feel good. By banning books the state was just making your life a lot easier.

Even going out for walks was unusual and people who did so were targeted, even for death. If you're out walking with only your own thoughts, you must be dangerous. Anytime you stopped being entertained, you might think. Children were therefore taken away right after birth, so they could be properly taught to be entertained and learn not to see more than one side of a story.

And, finally, professors are the main targets. Bradbury would fully understand the attacks on the humanities and on academia in general.

I read Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here and so should you. Published in 1935, it portrays an America that elects the populist Buzz Windrip, who swI read Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here and so should you. Published in 1935, it portrays an America that elects the populist Buzz Windrip, who sweeps in with promises he can't possibly keep ($5,000 for everyone!) but which people get themselves to believe; on making the country as good as it used to be, rejecting intellectuals, distrusting universities, attacking the press, railing against Jewish bankers, and even racist antagonism toward Mexico. People felt that he wouldn't be so bad once he was in office. After all, it can't happen here.

I noted so many similarities of Lewis' descriptions to now that I quickly lost count. And in his homespun, funny, snarky manner he lays out the easy disintegration of U.S. democracy and the cowing of the American people. The story revolves largely around Doremus Jessup, a small town newspaper editor who covers the coming of Buzz Windrip and then feels the brunt of censorship and violence.

On the people who believed in the president:

"they were the men and women who, in 1935 and 1936, had turned to Windrip & Co., not as perfect, but as the most probable saviors of the country from, on one hand, domination by Moscow and, on the other hand, the slack indolence, the lack of decent pride of half the American youth, whose world (these idealists asserted) was composed of shiftless distaste for work and refusal to learn anything thoroughly, of blatting dance music on the radio, maniac automobiles, slobbering sexuality, the humor and art of comic strips--of a slave psychology which was making Americaa land for sterner men to loot" (p. 350).

The book is even more effective than 1984 or other famous dystopias because it is so very American. Even though it was written in the 1930s, you can recognize the context, the development, and the hatred that so quickly can bubble up and then is harnessed. Liberty is snuffed in the name of liberty.

Cixin Liu's The Dark Forest (2015) is the sequel to The Three-Body Problem. Aliens (the Trisolarians) will be reaching earth in 400 years, so global lCixin Liu's The Dark Forest (2015) is the sequel to The Three-Body Problem. Aliens (the Trisolarians) will be reaching earth in 400 years, so global leaders come up with a plan to protect themselves. Since the Trisolarians can see and hear everything on earth, the United Nations decides that the only solution is to have a small group of people (called Wallfacers) who are given as many resources as possible but who never say anything about their plans. The story centers on Luo Ji, one of the Wallfacers who does unpredictable things but is clearly targeted by the Trisolarians as the most dangerous person on earth. Eventually in the novel he goes into hibernation for two centuries and the narrative picks up again with an account of how much has changed.

The ideas in the novel are well conceived and Liu provides a realistic view of how humans react to impending disaster (hint: not well). There are a lot of plot twists as the Trisolarians get closer and humans grapple with the consequences. The "dark forest" refers to the universe itself, to how vast and empty it is. Unfortunately, humans have the arrogance to call attention to themselves when it is better to remain unknown and hidden.

Matthew Carr's The Devils of Cardona is a murder mystery set in 1584 Spain. A priest has been murdered, then others are killed, and the question is whMatthew Carr's The Devils of Cardona is a murder mystery set in 1584 Spain. A priest has been murdered, then others are killed, and the question is whether moriscos, or Muslims forced to convert to Catholicism, are responsible. The Inquisition and its ideals are thus a key part of the story. It is a complicated--at times almost overly complicated--plot.

It's a good story, though not a great one. The narrative of the lies behind what everyone does is compelling--the priests, the Inquisitors, the investigators, the seemingly pious women, the forced converts, everyone hides behind facades. And the irrational fear of Muslims is clearly intended to speak to the post-9/11 era as well.

The protagonist, the judge Bernardo de Mendoza, is a well-rounded character, with enough contradictions to keep him interesting. The story has a few too many TV-ish rescues, but it's worth it. If Carr writes another Mendoza book, I'd buy it.

I read Juan Pablo Villalobos' I'll Sell You a Dog, the madcap style of which is very similar to his previous novel Quesadillas, which I read last yearI read Juan Pablo Villalobos' I'll Sell You a Dog, the madcap style of which is very similar to his previous novel Quesadillas, which I read last year. It's less dark, though, as it chronicles an old man named Teo who lives in a building in Mexico City with other older people, all of whom incorrectly think he is a novelist when in fact he is retired from running a street taco stand. This is what structures the narrative, as he drinks and tries to figure out how to disabuse them of this idea.

The dog narrative is almost incidental (and kinda gross) to a funny group of characters, including a young American Mormon who lamely tries to convert Teo and cockroaches that move when you play Cuban music. The story gets sewn up at the end in a manner that gets rather close to a cliche but is an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle, Book 5 is mostly about his late teens and into his twenties. He's at a writing academy, then university and compulsKarl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle, Book 5 is mostly about his late teens and into his twenties. He's at a writing academy, then university and compulsory national service in Bergen, Norway, before finally publishing a novel.

He details how he's trying to figure out who he is. His sole goal is to be a writer, but when he writes it comes out hollow. He's given work to do with radio interviews and book reviews, but it is also depressing because it seems to mean he can write about writers and not be one. Realist style is his strength, which of course eventually becomes the basis for these very books. But back then, he saw his friends publish their first novels and he had nothing but a single short story in print. Only toward the end of the book does he succeed, but even then he finds no solace.

As with the other books, shame is ever-present. No doubt much of it stems from his abusive father (who is only sporadically mentioned in this one until the end, when he comes back with full force). Knausgaard never feels he's living up to his potential and tells people that freely. Dangerously, he also blacks out while drinking and does self-destructive things, not just embarrassing himself but also injuring his brother, cheating on his girlfriend and later his wife, and getting arrested. Then he feels shame about that too. It can be painful to read.

He captures mood so well. His emotional gears shift up and down, and as a reader you can feel them, especially because he is so painstakingly honest. He's fumbling forward with a tremendous amount of emotional baggage and trying to get you to feel it with him. As he notes, he was searching for "future and meaning" (p. 527).

As for Book 6, which is the last, as of June 2016 the translator was saying publication would be sometime in 2017. It'll be about 1,200 pages long and I am looking forward to it.